I love Newsy. “Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde on 8:23 p.m. start: ‘Absolutely awful. And I get it on the big picture, but I don’t know why our fans, who are as loyal as can be, have to come to the rink for an 8:23 start. I mean, my family is not coming. They’re staying home because of it.'” (From Helene St. James).
Now, join me as I take you through a humdinger of a game and you’ll see why this article title makes sense (*cough* ref show *cough*)
First Period
Wings start fast as (Kraken goalie) Daccord can’t settle the puck on a flurry of shots and gives the Wings a wide-open net…which Veleno somehow manages to miss and hit the post instead. That’s already haunting me and it’s been 10 seconds.
Fast pace with some hits being thrown, both teams were ready to start for the 8:23pm puck drop. Example: Sprong gave a little extra whack looking for a rebound of Daccord and got into a scuffle for his troubles. Husso has been busy.
Larkin gets himself a breakaway…does not score 🙁
A whole team scrum breaks out. Seider is mad at Eberle so he starts some pushing and shoving (for an elbow to the head and then holding onto his stick on the way down) and DeBrincat darts over to help. “The boys are having a party tonight,” says Mickey Redmond. Seider and Beniers both go to their respective Bad Boy Box, two minutes each for roughing. We’re playing 4v4 with 5:30 to go. Score 0-0 and shots 11-10 Kraken.
Eberle finds himself in the Crimes Cabana shortly after the 4v4 expires for a holding penalty. You can’t grab a Copp like that. Red Wings powerplay! Powerplay is killed! Wings are playing a little frantically and aren’t connecting as well on passes as they normally would. They all had too much caffeine to stay up for the late start.
First period in the books with no goals and shots 13-12 Wings.
Second Period
Veleno redemption arc! He deflects a shot below the crossbar and not into it. 1-0 Wings just over a minute in. Shortly after it’s time for another RED WINGS POWERPLAY! Schultz is in the Jerk Jail. The powerplay is broken oh no. The powerplay didn’t work, but how about the penalty kill? Holl goes to the Degen Den for holding. The penalty kill failed immediately. Tied 1-1.
Kraken are pouring it on now, Husso scrambling around but finding the puck in time.
Sprong manages to hi-stick himself in the face and his nose is bleeding. Lifted his arm which still had a Kraken stick around it and bonk right in the nose. Not a penalty but the ref didn’t see it anyway.
The Wings haven’t quite adjusted to playing a team that’s as fast as the Kraken, they don’t have as much time as they think they do when trying to get out of their own zone.
Chiarot goes to the Good Garden for playing without a helmet. He played the puck in his skates as allowed, but didn’t immediately sprint for the bench afterward even though the puck was still near him. Newsy and Mick both disagree with the call. Back to the penalty kill and the penalty is killed.
2 minutes to go and Schwartz fires a heater past Husso on what was basically a 2 on 1 rush, although he didn’t pass it. 2-1 Kraken.
1 minute left and the fans are booing as they think they saw a thrown stick by the Kraken that the refs ignored. DeBrincat is giving it to the refs. On the replay, it’s textbook (Rule 53 – Throwing Equipment). There is no question and Mick is flabbergasted. The real problem with this is it leads to the Kraken getting a break the other way and scoring. 3-1 Kraken. See how it all unfolded…
Would Maatta have scored on the penalty shot he would have been awarded? Maybe not. But the Kraken wouldn’t have gotten their goal either.
The Kraken are playing well enough to have earned a lead but hooooboy does it burn for the refs to be changing the game.
Third Period
Off to a good start, Eberle in the Evildoer Enclosure for tripping Larkin. Red Wings on the powerplay! THE POWERPLAY IS BACK Y’ALL! GOSTISBEHERE SCOOOOOOOOORES! 3-2 Kraken. Points for Larkin and Seider.
In a collision, Fischer gets a stick in the face and has a bloody lip that needs fixed up. Shore sits in the Sin Stall for four minutes. RED WINGS POWERPLAY, AGAIN! BINGO! LARKIN SCOOOOOOOOOOORES almost immediately. Top shelf. TIE GAME! Powerplay part 2 begins, all in the first 6 minutes.
A late hit and the teams come together to wish each other a Happy Halloween. Now it’s Holl’s turn in the Horrible Hall for Horrible Holls. Wings to the penalty kill. Near the end of the penalty kill, Walman forces a turnover and gets held for his trouble as he was charging toward the net. Wennberg committed the sports crime and so serves the sports time in the Timeout Terrarium. 6 seconds of 4v4 and another Rrrrrred Wings powerplay will get us past the halfway point of the period. BINGO BANGO THE CAT STRIKES AGAIN. 4-3 WINGS!
The ref show continues! Now Sprong is in the Villain Villa for a pillow soft boarding call. Back on the penalty kill. 4 minutes to go, Wings up 4-3. Husso in his own personal frozen frenzy to try and kill this penalty. Penalty is killed but they are immediately back on the penalty kill with 2 minutes to go. Larkin is in the Fugitive Fort. Kraken score and it’s tied 4-4 with 1:16 to go. That’s 5 powerplay goals this game for anyone counting. That does it and we’re heading to extra innings…
OVERTIME
The Kraken are just going to have the puck the whole time I guess. Veleno and co. have a good chance but are out on the ice for a loooooong time before Larkin and friends get out there again. The minute of overtime are not what you would call elegant hockey. Raymond clanks one off the goalpost. Eberle scores with 5 seconds left and that’s it.
Kraken win 5-4 in OT.
